NKG2D expression was found to be negatively correlated with HBA1c level (r=-0.50; P=0.009), suggesting that sustained hyperglycemia could directly influence NK cell defects.
Tissues and organs of humans and mice with hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia were examined for expression of ligands for NKG2D, a potent immune-activating receptor expressed by several types of immune cells, and the role of NKG2D in atherosclerosis and metabolic diseases was probed with the use of mice lacking NKG2D or by blocking NKG2D with monoclonal antibodies.